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Shards of Grace
Summary The Shards of Grace are pieces of the World Seal that have been refined into much smaller artifacts. Each shard holds the world around itself stable, keeping the influence of the Elemental Void at bay. They also serve another function: Geists from the Elemental Void must take material form to travel or act within the influence of the Shards. Creation, Usage, and Effects of the Shards of Grace The Shards of Grace were created less than a lifetime after the Ravaging, but there is a great dispute regarding who created them. Those too large to transport in the modern day were at that time transported over a period of a few decades to their current resting places. The creators luckily had the foresight to create a variety of sizes of stones; the smaller ones allow for them to be transported to grant protection to wandering tribes or to set up new settlements near newly discovered resources. Controversy of Creation How and by who the Shards of Grace were created is a source of controversy. The majority of Tonisians believe that the gods reached down to Bleak and created the Shards to protect civilization. Without the shards, there would be no world, and thus no people to worship the deities. Others believe that the Shards were created by mages within one lifetime of the destruction of the World Seal. There is little conclusive evidence to prove it either way. Modern Usage Nearly all Shards of Grace are large enough to be considered immobile. In Tonis, these rest primarily on the coast, and on Kazael they ring the Heart Forest. Shards of Grace are heavier than any known material, those much larger than a fist tend to be too heavy to carry. Many Shards of Grace are venerated as conduits of divine communication, though by and large they are hidden from the population. Religious structures often contain monoliths that are worshiped as proxy Shards. A small number of shards are actually shaped to be worn. There Shards known to be rings, amulets, some have facets on them to allow them to be build into armor or weapons. Pillars of the World The Pillars of the World are the Shards of Grace that form a ring around the Heart Forest in the center of Kazael. These Shards of Grace are so strong that they prevent Kazael from rotating, despite the incredible forces applied to the world by the Elemental Void. Elemental Polarization The influence of the pillars of the world extend far beyond the survivable boundaries of Bleak; their influence is felt on the cosmic level. The Pillars give form and substance to the world, and in accordance with the laws of the Three Crowns, this influences the pure elemental energies of the void. The result is a polarization of the elemental void, forcing different elements to different positions around Bleak. This polarization, however, is felt on the cosmic and geographic level, and not very noticeable on the level that people typically observe. The polarization can only be felt (and studied) in the Chroma beyond Tonis. Category:Bleak